Brew the perfect traditional Chinese Style
As the Yixing teapot is unglazed it must be cured prior to use. This is a very simple process and involves the following steps.
Day One
Place the teapot and the lid into a large uncovered pan or pot of water.( Making sure the teapot is completely submerged) Place some tea leaves (type you will be using the teapot ) into the water and bring to a slow boil. Avoid rapid boiling as this will cause pieces to hit one another or bounce in the pot and will not seal the pot effectively. Simmer for one hour and leave to cool in the pan of water for the rest of the day.
Day Two
Rinse the teapot with fresh water to remove any clay residues. Place the teapot into a pan / pot of water, slowly boil the water and leave to cool for a day.
Day Three
Rinse the teapot with hot water and leave to air dry, your teapot is now ready to use.
How to make the perfect brew
To make the perfect brew you need to preheat the teapot by rinsing it with boiling water. Place one teaspoon of tea leaves into the teapot and fill it up with boiling water. Drain the water quickly to rinse the tea leaves. Fill the teapot a third time with boiling water and allow to steep / brew for at least one minute. The quality of the tea infusion and the beauty of your teapot will continue to improve with use. Please note that you should not wash your teapots with any detergents or cleaning products. To clean just rinse with hot water after every use and air dry.
